Awwwww....so sad to hear this

My heart breaks she was so young.

She was sheer beauty and I hope she found the peace she sought in her life, seems she did.

Blessings to her family and friends.

Oh hell no! I woke up this morning. I turned on the local news. They were playing a song from The Time. I was still kinda of drowsy. They mentioned someone who starred in Purple Rain had passed away from kidney disease. I knew they couldn't have been talking about Vanity since she was not in Purple Rain but that's who they were referring to. OMG! I am so sad right now. I've always adored her. May she finally rest in peace.

Dilan said:

I feel so so sad about this news. I know prince loved vanity but why prince did you not reach out to her when she was in need? You brought Bobby z back into your life after his first major heart attack. (Or maybe he did afer all discretely without our knowledge) RIP Denise id love to hear the stories from the concert

I remember reading something about the first times when she was in hospital for her treatments, he paid for them and reached out to her but she was no longer Vanity and did want to revisit that part of her life.

After he became a JW who knows what happened but he did reach out to her at first.

Sad news, but it sounds like she found her peace with God before she passed, and shared that peace with others. I like this photo of the three of them enjoying a good laugh together.

Rest in peace, Denise.

Sad to hear. I love her movies, songs, etc. Even though we did'nt agree on some things , she was very nice to me when I communnicated with her. I had plans of trying to contact her again. A very kind and talented lady. I wish she would have understood how some appreciated her contributions to acting/ singing, how unique and original she was, and the positive things they brought to her fans lives. Farewell/ R.I.P. Denise

Beautiful lady RIP. 2016 is turning out to be a bad year already so many musicians gone.

[Edited 2/16/16 6:45am]

kenkamken said:

Sad news, but it sounds like she found her peace with God before she passed, and shared that peace with others. I like this photo of the three of them enjoying a good laugh together.

The sincerity of joy in that photo is EVERYTHING.

[img:$uid]http://i68.tinypic.com/2s8fw2d.jpg[/img:$uid]

So heartbroken....

This is my favorite perfomance of her on Soul Train....

Fare thee well, sweet Denise.

[Edited 4/7/17 10:29am]

I am shocked & sad to hear of Denise's passing. I know she had some health problems.. but it's still a shock. I give her a lot of credit for having come back from as far down as she had been - wallowing in that drug use & all that. a lot of people have to hit rock bottom before they can collect themselves & get back on the right track. she had her 15 minutes of fame, then had serious problems from that.. then she bounced back. much respect to her for that. a lot of people don't come back from that. what she lacked in singing ability she more than made up for in beauty & attitude.

I'll always love (& listen to) "nasty girl", "when a girl answers don't hang up" & "mechanical emotion" (with Morris).. rest in peace, Denise. you are finally back with your heavenly Father.

V10LETBLUES said:

It must be said, the hard sober truth when it comes to drug addiction, there is never anyone to blame but yourself. It's never a good time too hear it, but when the impact is the greatest it must be said. It wasn't the persona or the music or the sex that destroyed her kidneys, it was hard drugs. Crack cocaine. When you smoke crack cocaine, you don't live happily ever after. [Edited 2/15/16 21:41pm]

WOW

another mistype of your phone?
You are a CLASS Act you are

lovely person

http://www.news.com.au/en...f36d2f221d

Australia is the surprise first global leg of his Piano and a Microphone solo tour, a tour which didn’t exist a month ago but will be talked about for years.

Armed just with a piano and that immense talent, Prince put on the kind of concert you just don’t expect to see from a superstar. It was spontaneous and intimate. It was like a private piano party, just with 2000 people watching. It was pure Prince.

His first Melbourne show at the State Theatre was particularly emotionally charged — Prince admitting he’d just found out about the death of Denise Matthews, aka Vanity, his ex-girlfriend from the early ‘80s and protoge when she fronted the band Vanity 6.

“Someone dear to us has passed away, I’m gonna dedicate this song to her,” Prince said before playing a touching version of Little Red Corvette with a touch of Dirty Mind — songs from the era when they were together.

Prince reworked his classic The Ladder to replace the name ‘Electra’ with ‘Vanity’ — so the lyrics ran “This Prince, he had a subject named Vanity who loved him with a passion, uncontested.”

After an encore Prince returned to the stage noting “I am new to this playing alone. I thank you all for being so patient. I’m trying to stay focused, it’s a little heavy for me tonight. Just keep jamming ... She knows about this one.” That introduced a truly incredible version of The Beautiful Ones, another song from the Vanity era (she was the original choice for lead in the Purple Rain movie), the song ending with Prince changing “my knees” for “Denise ... Denise”.

Unusually chatty and candid, he continued going off script. “Can I tell you a story about Vanity? Or should I tell you a story about Denise? Her and I used to love each other deeply. She loved me for the artist I was, I loved her for the artist she was trying to be. She and I would fight. She was very headstrong cos she knew she was the finest woman in the world. She never missed an opportunity to tell you that.”

Prince then opened up about a fight where he threatened to throw Vanity in the pool. She said “You can’t throw me in the pool, you’re too little”. He then asked his six foot bodyguard Chick to do the dirty work for him.

“I probably shouldn’t be telling this story,“ he said, “but she’d want us to celebrate her life and not mourn her.”

The show mixed hits (Money Don’t Matter 2Nite, If I Was UR Girlfriend, How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore) and covers (Bob Marley’s Waiting in Vain) with deep cuts, including the recently reclaimed 1992 song A 1000 Hugs and Kisses and new tunes Big City, Satisfied and When She Comes.

Fan favourite Sometimes It Snows in April had slight touches of Purple Rain in it, while he dusted off I Love U In Me, a b-side from the Batman era — the kind of thing fans dream of hearing.

Only Bruce Springsteen puts on these kind of spur-of-the-moment shows where you know every concert will be drastically different.

During one song he tapped his feet to make a beat, demonstrating he was wearing shoes that flash and light up, similar to the ones kids have. He may well be the only adult that can pull them off.

The show was delightfully loose. “Space is part of the music,” he noted at one point.

After an encore Prince asked “Mind if I jam a little?” Not when that jam becomes a medley of Raspberry Beret, Paisley Park, Starfish and Coffee and a jaw-dropping version of Adore, again for Vanity. You really felt you were watching something special, a glimpse into his heart that would never be repeated.

The adoring crowd partied like it was 1979 — phones weren’t allowed or used, and there were no media photographers. It lives on only in memory.

Prince is obviously a genius, but he’s got another commodity that’s been lost today — mystery. He’s the kind of artist who decides to tour on a whim, then reinvents his catalogue on a piano and blows your mind.

It was only the use of an iPad on top of his piano, with lyrics he constantly scrolled through, that reminded you he’s human and uses modern technology too.

“Can’t nobody do it like Prince,” he says at one point. Amen.

[Edited 2/16/16 9:41am]

BklynDiamond said:

Dilan said:

I feel so so sad about this news. I know prince loved vanity but why prince did you not reach out to her when she was in need? You brought Bobby z back into your life after his first major heart attack. (Or maybe he did afer all discretely without our knowledge) RIP Denise id love to hear the stories from the concert

I remember reading something about the first times when she was in hospital for her treatments, he paid for them and reached out to her but she was no longer Vanity and did want to revisit that part of her life.

After he became a JW who knows what happened but he did reach out to her at first.

Exactly! No one truly knows about Prince's private life or private conversations.. It's more than likely that they did communicate while she was sick and he mightve continued to help financially. Im just glad shes not in any pain anymore.. She was definitely loved by the fans and will be missed.

V10LETBLUES said:

The outside beauty or talent of a person doesn't always show the trouble or torment inside. We may think someone has it all, but ultimately we all face the same things, just sometimes in a really beautiful package. Thanks you Vanity for blessing us with your beauty and talent and may you now rest in peace.

Ditto, plus thanks to Denise Matthews for her testimony. RIP

OldFriends4Sale said:

http://www.news.com.au/en...f36d2f221d

Australia is the surprise first global leg of his Piano and a Microphone solo tour, a tour which didn’t exist a month ago but will be talked about for years.

Armed just with a piano and that immense talent, Prince put on the kind of concert you just don’t expect to see from a superstar. It was spontaneous and intimate. It was like a private piano party, just with 2000 people watching. It was pure Prince.

His first Melbourne show at the State Theatre was particularly emotionally charged — Prince admitting he’d just found out about the death of Denise Matthews, aka Vanity, his ex-girlfriend from the early ‘80s and protoge when she fronted the band Vanity 6.

“Someone dear to us has passed away, I’m gonna dedicate this song to her,” Prince said before playing a touching version of Little Red Corvette with a touch of Dirty Mind — songs from the era when they were together.

Prince reworked his classic The Ladder to replace the name ‘Electra’ with ‘Vanity’ — so the lyrics ran “This Prince, he had a subject named Vanity who loved him with a passion, uncontested.”

After an encore Prince returned to the stage noting “I am new to this playing alone. I thank you all for being so patient. I’m trying to stay focused, it’s a little heavy for me tonight. Just keep jamming ... She knows about this one.” That introduced a truly incredible version of The Beautiful Ones, another song from the Vanity era (she was the original choice for lead in the Purple Rain movie), the song ending with Prince changing “my knees” for “Denise ... Denise”.

Unusually chatty and candid, he continued going off script. “Can I tell you a story about Vanity? Or should I tell you a story about Denise? Her and I used to love each other deeply. She loved me for the artist I was, I loved her for the artist she was trying to be. She and I would fight. She was very headstrong cos she knew she was the finest woman in the world. She never missed an opportunity to tell you that.”

Prince then opened up about a fight where he threatened to throw Vanity in the pool. She said “You can’t throw me in the pool, you’re too little”. He then asked his six foot bodyguard Chick to do the dirty work for him.

“I probably shouldn’t be telling this story,“ he said, “but she’d want us to celebrate her life and not mourn her.”

The show mixed hits (Money Don’t Matter 2Nite, If I Was UR Girlfriend, How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore) and covers (Bob Marley’s Waiting in Vain) with deep cuts, including the recently reclaimed 1992 song A 1000 Hugs and Kisses and new tunes Big City, Satisfied and When She Comes.

Fan favourite Sometimes It Snows in April had slight touches of Purple Rain in it, while he dusted off I Love U In Me, a b-side from the Batman era — the kind of thing fans dream of hearing.

Only Bruce Springsteen puts on these kind of spur-of-the-moment shows where you know every concert will be drastically different.

During one song he tapped his feet to make a beat, demonstrating he was wearing shoes that flash and light up, similar to the ones kids have. He may well be the only adult that can pull them off.

The show was delightfully loose. “Space is part of the music,” he noted at one point.

After an encore Prince asked “Mind if I jam a little?” Not when that jam becomes a medley of Raspberry Beret, Paisley Park, Starfish and Coffee and a jaw-dropping version of Adore, again for Vanity. You really felt you were watching something special, a glimpse into his heart that would never be repeated.

The adoring crowd partied like it was 1979 — phones weren’t allowed or used, and there were no media photographers. It lives on only in memory.

Prince is obviously a genius, but he’s got another commodity that’s been lost today — mystery. He’s the kind of artist who decides to tour on a whim, then reinvents his catalogue on a piano and blows your mind.

It was only the use of an iPad on top of his piano, with lyrics he constantly scrolled through, that reminded you he’s human and uses modern technology too.

“Can’t nobody do it like Prince,” he says at one point. Amen.

[Edited 2/16/16 9:41am]

Thank U for the details above. Eye can only imagine that one of the Muses was with Vanity/Denise when she passed and that Vanity, along with the Muse, attended the concert. She must be so proud of Prince and see that after physical life, Love remains, Love Lives, and what a blessing God's Creation Is.

OldFriends4Sale said:

V10LETBLUES said:

It must be said, the hard sober truth when it comes to drug addiction, there is never anyone to blame but yourself. It's never a good time too hear it, but when the impact is the greatest it must be said. It wasn't the persona or the music or the sex that destroyed her kidneys, it was hard drugs. Crack cocaine. When you smoke crack cocaine, you don't live happily ever after. [Edited 2/15/16 21:41pm]

WOW

another mistype of your phone?
You are a CLASS Act you are

lovely person

Yeah, that was pretty low and inappropriate, I wish y'all could snip that comment.

Anyhoo, Imma watch Action Jackson tonight in Denise's memory.

OldFriends4Sale said:

V10LETBLUES said:

It must be said, the hard sober truth when it comes to drug addiction, there is never anyone to blame but yourself. It's never a good time too hear it, but when the impact is the greatest it must be said. It wasn't the persona or the music or the sex that destroyed her kidneys, it was hard drugs. Crack cocaine. When you smoke crack cocaine, you don't live happily ever after. [Edited 2/15/16 21:41pm]

WOW

another mistype of your phone?
You are a CLASS Act you are

lovely person

yes any typos are.

The truth is not always pretty and one would be a fool not to mention it.

no happy ending ever ended with "..she smoked crack and lived happily ever after" That's the truth of drug abuse. There are consequences.

Get over yourself already.

babynoz said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

WOW

another mistype of your phone?
You are a CLASS Act you are

lovely person

Yeah, that was pretty low and inappropriate, I wish y'all could snip that comment.

Anyhoo, Imma watch Action Jackson tonight in Denise's memory.

How is telling the truth about drug abuse a low comment? Much less to snip?

OldFriends4Sale said:

http://www.news.com.au/en...f36d2f221d

Australia is the surprise first global leg of his Piano and a Microphone solo tour, a tour which didn’t exist a month ago but will be talked about for years.

Armed just with a piano and that immense talent, Prince put on the kind of concert you just don’t expect to see from a superstar. It was spontaneous and intimate. It was like a private piano party, just with 2000 people watching. It was pure Prince.

His first Melbourne show at the State Theatre was particularly emotionally charged — Prince admitting he’d just found out about the death of Denise Matthews, aka Vanity, his ex-girlfriend from the early ‘80s and protoge when she fronted the band Vanity 6.

“Someone dear to us has passed away, I’m gonna dedicate this song to her,” Prince said before playing a touching version of Little Red Corvette with a touch of Dirty Mind — songs from the era when they were together.

Prince reworked his classic The Ladder to replace the name ‘Electra’ with ‘Vanity’ — so the lyrics ran “This Prince, he had a subject named Vanity who loved him with a passion, uncontested.”

After an encore Prince returned to the stage noting “I am new to this playing alone. I thank you all for being so patient. I’m trying to stay focused, it’s a little heavy for me tonight. Just keep jamming ... She knows about this one.” That introduced a truly incredible version of The Beautiful Ones, another song from the Vanity era (she was the original choice for lead in the Purple Rain movie), the song ending with Prince changing “my knees” for “Denise ... Denise”.

Unusually chatty and candid, he continued going off script. “Can I tell you a story about Vanity? Or should I tell you a story about Denise? Her and I used to love each other deeply. She loved me for the artist I was, I loved her for the artist she was trying to be. She and I would fight. She was very headstrong cos she knew she was the finest woman in the world. She never missed an opportunity to tell you that.”

Prince then opened up about a fight where he threatened to throw Vanity in the pool. She said “You can’t throw me in the pool, you’re too little”. He then asked his six foot bodyguard Chick to do the dirty work for him.

“I probably shouldn’t be telling this story,“ he said, “but she’d want us to celebrate her life and not mourn her.”

The show mixed hits (Money Don’t Matter 2Nite, If I Was UR Girlfriend, How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore) and covers (Bob Marley’s Waiting in Vain) with deep cuts, including the recently reclaimed 1992 song A 1000 Hugs and Kisses and new tunes Big City, Satisfied and When She Comes.

Fan favourite Sometimes It Snows in April had slight touches of Purple Rain in it, while he dusted off I Love U In Me, a b-side from the Batman era — the kind of thing fans dream of hearing.

Only Bruce Springsteen puts on these kind of spur-of-the-moment shows where you know every concert will be drastically different.

During one song he tapped his feet to make a beat, demonstrating he was wearing shoes that flash and light up, similar to the ones kids have. He may well be the only adult that can pull them off.

The show was delightfully loose. “Space is part of the music,” he noted at one point.

After an encore Prince asked “Mind if I jam a little?” Not when that jam becomes a medley of Raspberry Beret, Paisley Park, Starfish and Coffee and a jaw-dropping version of Adore, again for Vanity. You really felt you were watching something special, a glimpse into his heart that would never be repeated.

The adoring crowd partied like it was 1979 — phones weren’t allowed or used, and there were no media photographers. It lives on only in memory.

Prince is obviously a genius, but he’s got another commodity that’s been lost today — mystery. He’s the kind of artist who decides to tour on a whim, then reinvents his catalogue on a piano and blows your mind.

It was only the use of an iPad on top of his piano, with lyrics he constantly scrolled through, that reminded you he’s human and uses modern technology too.

“Can’t nobody do it like Prince,” he says at one point. Amen.

[Edited 2/16/16 9:41am].

Awww...thanks for posting this. I had a feeling that it would affect him deeply enough to speak on it but he really opened up.

V10LETBLUES said:

babynoz said:

Yeah, that was pretty low and inappropriate, I wish y'all could snip that comment.

Anyhoo, Imma watch Action Jackson tonight in Denise's memory.

How is telling the truth about drug abuse a low comment? Much less to snip?

Go away.

V10LETBLUES said:

babynoz said:

Yeah, that was pretty low and inappropriate, I wish y'all could snip that comment.

Anyhoo, Imma watch Action Jackson tonight in Denise's memory.

How is telling the truth about drug abuse a low comment? Much less to snip?

You couldn't wait until her body was cold before you got on your high horse?

R.I.P. Denise.

I just heard about Denise’s passing late this morning. What a lady. My heart is hurting over this.

Much love to all of her family and friends, and especially to Prince, who enjoyed such a close friendship and history with her. So classy and touching that he chose to share his stories of her with the audience in Melbourne and dedicate a song to her. This comes as great comfort as we continue to process the news of her transition. What a beautiful way to honor her spirit. She would be so pleased.

She was always MISNAMED from the get go, by the purple-ish one.

She never really came across as 'vain', even when she was 'named' that.

.

Her life returned to her when she took back her name...much prefer her as Denise Matthews, she became whole, healed, full of life, at peace again, long before she died.

.

Prince...was a negative influence on her...he couldn't do anything about her inner demons at that time because he had them too, plus as I say, he 'named' her incorrectly (and negatively)...there was and remains something dark, heavy and negative about Prince...his talent for music never hid that for me.

.

His 'tribute' is what we've all come to expect from Prince...saying all the 'right' things...but do we ever sense that real, true, heartfelt compassion from him?

Be honest people.

.

Anyway, enough about Prince...DENISE MATTHEWS you were saved girl! Turned away from all of the 'evil' in her life and struggled daily to maintain that consistency. Her struggle is my struggle.

I will remember her for that.

This is the true INSPIRATION of her life and CELEBRATION of today, I'm so glad for Denise...beloved woman.

x

.